Where you belong
by Amethyst Jewels
Summary: Future fic! Rei graduates high school & will prepare for the next 2 major steps in her modern life: marriage & college! She prefers something simple while Chad wants to make up for what they didnt have in the past. Will they compromise or cancel the wedding all together after butting heads? (Rated T just in case for subject matter in later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: The song"Where you belong" by Kari Kimmel is so gorgeous & fits Rei & Chad so perfectly in my storylines that I decided to give them a proper send off using it. I wrote this chapter while listening to it on repeat! If you watch The Fosters on ABC Family, you've probably heard it. If not, check it out on Youtube!

This is a future fic, so it's an AU obviously. Not Crystal Tokyo future though. It's just a few years ahead in the modern time. Enjoy!

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Rei gently dabbed some sweat off of her forehead with a handkerchief, careful not to smudge her makeup as she walked through the crowd on the expansive campus, occasionally hugging a classmate or smiling at guests. She was now 18 years old, a few inches taller & more mature looking than she was when she came to this school as a child. There was a good reason for that. Today was T*A* Academy for Girls' graduation day. Looking around, she looked for the familiar faces of her friends that are supposed to be meeting her after the evening ceremony. Being that T*A was a private Catholic school; the commencement ceremony was not the traditional Japanese one.

The day was broken up into two parts. The Morning Prayer service, followed by the awards ceremony breakfast was for the parents and graduates only, so Rei's grandpa was the only one there. Her father didnt show up, not the she expected him to, but he did send her a bouquet of flowers with a diamond & ruby bracelet as a graduation present. Rei was pleasantly surprised to win awards for Second Honors in Religion & the Future Star-Creative student award. Although she followed the Shinto religion & was a Miko, she thoroughly enjoyed learning about different faiths & worked hard on her studies while in school. The Creative award is a student board award that the graduating class votes on. It was given to Rei because of her passion for volunteering time & organizing (or controlling, depending on who you ask) school events. The culture fest where she premiered her original music in concert was a highlight for her & the school.

The evening ceremony where the diplomas were presented was outdoors on the campus grounds to accommodate for extra guests of the graduates. After the speeches & walk across the stage, the graduates tossed up their hats & dispersed to find their loved ones to celebrate.

Rei's guest list were a small but meaningful group; her grandfather, the Scouts that are her best friends, Mamoru, Greg & of course, her fiancé Chad. Andrew was going to come but the arcade owner had an emergency & was out of town tonight, so he had to stay behind to work. To make it up to her, he was closing the arcade early so they could have a private party for Rei later.

Stopping to take off her robe, she folded it over her arm & sighed grateful for the early June evening breeze that cooled her sweating skin. Her choice of attire was not her usual style but it was the required dress for graduation. The school board preferred a conservative style of dress for young ladies being that they were a faith based school, so it took her a while to find the right dress because the stores she usually shopped in were trendier. Rei ended up going to a bridal boutique & finding a dress on clearance; a long plain white a-line dress with sleeves. The frumpy frock was on sale & that's all that mattered. At first she didn't care because she was wearing her robe over it but Lita & Mina insisted upon fixing up the dress for her to make it more youthful. They cut the top of it into a strapless dress & added the white lace cap sleeves & open back after taking out the tulle underskirt. To make it more Rei-like, they sewed on a red rose decal on the rutched side to give the dress some more character. Rei burst into tears the day of graduation when they brought it over for her. It was a true Cinderella moment.

Feeling a heavy hand on her shoulder, she smiled & turned around to immediately hug the tall, not so shaggy haired looking man known as Chad.

"Congratulations beautiful! You looked amazing walking across the stage" Chad said with a proud smile. He wore a dark gray casual business suit & slicked his hair back into a ponytail to look more mature for the occasion. Rei frowned slightly as she looked him over. She had to be here early to get ready for the ceremony so she didn't see how anyone looked beforehand. Seeing her unhappy look, Chad raised an eyebrow. "It's the suit isn't it? Grandpa insisted I dressed up", he explained as he pulled down one the shirt cuffs that rode up his arm.

Rei shook her head. "The suit I can live with. But this…" Rei paused as she pulled out the ponytail holder & ran her fingers through his hair from the scalp up, messing up his hair into his usual style. "…has to go! I love you just the way you are". She gave him a sweet kiss before pulling back to admire her handy work. "This is the man I'm marrying!"

Chad smiled, grateful that Rei was the type who loved him for all his faults & redeeming qualities. "Thanks babe. This I can get used to though" Chad said gesturing towards the dress.

"Uh uh, no way! I love the dress because of what Lita & Mina did to fix it, but I most certainly won't be wearing a whipped cream dress when we get married. It's not my color. I only wore this because it was mandatory as you can see" Rei told him as she nodded her head towards the endless sea of white dresses & gowns on the lawn. "When we go to city hall, I'll probably just wear a nice party dress or something".

At the mention of city hall, Chad took a step back. "City hall? You don't want a real wedding? Like cake, dancing & all those other…dresses & things?" He may not be wedding savvy but he knew girls liked to have big parties & costume changes.

Rei thought for a moment as they started walking towards the stands then shook her head. "No it's fine. Maybe back in the day when we were who we used to be, I would have. Now we can't afford to. I don't want my father to pay for it, I certainly don't want my grandpa to go broke over it & we really don't have a lot of people to invite. It doesn't matter about the party or clothes. I just want to be with you. I figured we could go to city hall & go out to a restaurant. That seems the most logical given that I'm about to start university & we don't have much money to spare".

Chad stopped their walk & pulled her in front of him. "After all we've been through; I think we deserve the chance to celebrate our moment. Just hear me out" he said seeing her about to interject. "My parents want to pay for the wedding. It came up in conversation this week when I was telling them about your graduation. It doesn't have to be expensive. We can have the ceremony & reception at the shrine, so that's free. All we have to really take care of is food, entertainment, our clothes & the honeymoon". Rei couldn't help but notice he emphasized the last word.

Smirking up at him, Rei hugged his arm & looked him in the eye. "Why do I have the feeling you're thinking more about the after wedding festivities than the actual ceremony?"

Blushing a bit, Chad pretended to be nervous & shifted on his feet. "Come on Rei! How much longer do you think sneaking to my room & running back to yours before grandpa wakes up will work?" The former knight laughed wildly as he ducked a fist meant to silence him in case anyone they knew heard them. "I'm kidding! Though I admit, it's an added bonus. Once we're married & we renovate the house to make my room bigger, it won't be a problem. Then we can save your room for the kids"

Now it was Rei's turn to blush & look incredulous. "Kids?! Whoa whoa", the princess said holding up her hands in a stop motion. "Slow down there. I literally graduated high school 10 minutes ago. Let's get past the wedding & college before we start changing diapers. I want to enjoy ourselves as a couple first. We didn't get that the first time around."

Chad nodded in agreement. "That's true. It was a bit of a whirlwind. And I was only half serious, you know. I know you want to finish school & establish yourself first. I'm almost running the daily shrine work now & doing some side work teaching martial arts, so I'm all set. Whenever you're ready to change things, I'm there. Ok?"

Rei smiled & shed a small tear hearing his words & held Chad's hand to her cheek after he reached up to wipe it away. The past 3 years with him was full of more love & life than she had in her 17 years previously & in the lifetime before. Rei missed what they had previously in their first lifetime, but having him back with her memories made her whole again & she savored every day. They weren't perfect by any means. They argued (mainly due to Rei's stubbornness but she was working on it), they made up, they were different yet the same but at the end of the day, they were right where they were meant to be. This is where they belonged, together. Standing on her tippy toes, she kissed him gently & looked into his perfect blue eyes.

"I'm so lucky to have you. Now let's get going! We have to find our friends & get to that party!" Rei grabbed his hand & they started back towards the stands to find the group now that the crowd was thinning out. "By the way, if you were still half serious about the kids part, we'll have plenty of practice being an aunt & uncle in a few months".

Chad's eyebrows came together trying to figure out what she meant. Someone they knew was pregnant? Then it clicked, Usagi & Mamoru got married rather quickly a few weeks ago after her own graduation in a large but hastily thrown together wedding. That explains why she was eating everything in sight…well…more than usual!

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Don't freak out, they will have their wedding! This was just the intro to that part.

I don't know how Catholic schools in Japan have their commencement ceremonies, so I modeled it from mine from Junior high. We had a morning mass & awards ceremony breakfast where the 7th graders served us (& yes, I actually did get second honors in religion. I was shocked!) & that night we had the walk in church where we got our diplomas. It was awesome! To think that was 14 years ago, I graduated high school 10 years ago & next month, I have another college graduation. Damn I'm old! LOL. White was not my color either. I'm wearing a gray & black dress with gray ankle boots to my ceremony next month. Yeah I know, boots in the summer? Whatever, they were on sale & they're cute!

Happy graduation to those graduating in May & June! Enjoy this special time in your life!


	2. Chapter 2: Wedding Mania

Author's note: I actually had this written up for like 2 weeks. Don't kill me. I have major personal issues going on that have to be settled. I was surprised I had any inspiration at all. The most important thing is the chappie is here!

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Rei was getting frustrated _very _quickly over her wedding plans. She officially declared herself insane for trying to plan a wedding while getting ready for college. Her college plans were already finished long before she graduated 2 months ago. She's registered at Tokyo University in the music program. She's doing a double major studying to be a music teacher with a specialty in performance & religion. All she was doing now was finalizing payments & getting her books & ID.

Her wedding planning however was anything but smooth. Everyone & their mother (literally) was handing her ideas, suggestions, color swatches & everything else that deals with weddings. Her room was covered in untouched boxes, wedding magazines & fake flower samples. Most of which will go into the sacred fire if Rei had her way.

After talking with Chad's parents over dinner a few weeks ago when they visited, she finally conceded & decided to have a small shinto ceremony with a reception at a local hotel to accommodate for the extra guests coming from Chad's side of the family. He may be an only child in this time but he had a large extended family. The cousins Rei met on their ski trip a few years ago were very nice to her, so she didn't mind it TOO much. As long as it wasn't overly formal & traditional.

Today was bittersweet for Rei as she was going to do her wedding dress shopping. This was one of many times she wished her mother was still here. It would have been a day of laughing & crying while bonding over Rei's future life as a wife. At first Rei wasn't going to go to the store at all & just wear one of her good dresses but Chad wanted her to have a special dress for the day that they would hopefully pass down to one of their daughters, so she relented.

The only scout who wasn't busy on the day Rei selected was Makoto & she was all too happy to accompany Rei to her appointment. It seemed fitting since they both dealt with parental loss & know the ache they will feel deep within on the happiest days of their lives.

After making breakfast & leaving it for grandpa & Chad, Rei picked her purse up off the counter & rushed out the door to meet Makoto by the train.

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The bridal store Rei found online was based in downtown Tokyo's upscale shopping district but still within the budget they had allotted for clothes. It was specializing in selling western gowns, which is what she wanted for her reception. The traditional wedding kimono would be for the first set of pictures & the ceremony.

Grandpa had some money set aside starting from when Rei first stayed with him & splurged on a red silk kimono with gold sakura detailing on the back & side. It cost well over $1,000 but he insisted on keeping with the tradition of getting a beautiful kimono for Rei, especially since she was his only granddaughter. Rei burst into tears seeing the garment when he came into her room with the box. He was & still is more of a father to her than the busy politician that Rei doubted would show up to her wedding. And even if he did, Grandpa was conducting the ceremony & getting the father/daughter dance.

When Makoto & Rei got to the shop, all Rei was was a sea of white fabric surrounding a pedestal in front of a mirror. Just what she didn't want. Wearing white when it was required was one thing, but not that she has a say, it was NOT happening.

"Welcome to the Heaven Sent Bridal Boutique!", the chipper sales lady said as she bowed from behind the counter. The short lady had graying black hair & wore a pink & gray uniform with a "owner" tag pinned to her right shoulder. "My name is Mei & I will be helping you today! You must be Hino-san! We spoke on the phone yesterday morning".

"It sure does look like heaven with all these white dresses", Makoto muttered sarcastically.

Rei cleared her throat a bit to tell Makoto not to be rude to the lady. "Yes that's me. It's night to meet you Mei. Please tell me you have something other than white for bridal gowns….".

Mei smiled & nodded eagerly. "Oh yes certainly. Ever since celebrities started wearing colored & patterned dresses, we found many girls wanted to emulate the style. Is there something in particular you want?"

Not wanting to sound indecisive, Rei thought it would be best to have a broad description ready & see what she finds. "Well this will be for the reception because I'm having a Shinto wedding ceremony. I'd light a floor length dress, nothing poofy, so maybe an A-Line or empire waist style would be good. Sleeveless & preferably red."

Mei nodded & took down the description on a notepad she pulled from her pocket. "I think we have a few dresses you may enjoy. And is this lovely young lady your maid of honor?"

Makoto smiled & shook her head. "She's not doing bridesmaids & I do have a dress but I came along to help her pick a dress & maybe find some shoes".

"Oh, well the shoes are on the wall over there & I'll go get some dress selections together while you wait", Mei said before going into the back room.

Mei came back with about 6 different dresses in various shades of red. Some of them weren't A-lines but not overly poofy, so Rei decided to give them all a try. After a while, she felt like the Goldilocks of gown shopping.

The first dress was nice but the heavy bottom made Rei look like she belonged on top of a cake. The next one was nice but was too low cut in the front. Makoto jokingly said in that dress, she should jump out of a cake! The third one was pretty but Rei wasn't sure if she wanted sequins on her dress. It made the outfit look more club like.

The fourth dress was THE ONE. It was a simple strapless red lace slip dress that had a small train & tied at the back. It seemed to be a second skin on Rei & flowed gracefully as she walked. There was also a set of small hooks hidden under one of the back lace panels to pick up the train when she wanted to dance. Rei also got a confirmation that she needed to get it when Makoto was in tears & just smiling when she came out of the fitting room.

Running her hands over the fabric felt like a dream come true….until she looked at the price tag. This dress was hand dyed lace over silk, so it was almost double what Rei had saved up to spend. She was crushed but looked in the mirror to weigh her options. Maybe if she cut back on some other aspects of the wedding, she could afford the dress but that would be incredibly selfish.

Mei noticed Rei's look when she looked at the tag & smiled a bit. Being the owner of the store, she could take liberties with the prices & she often did when she saw brides had financial difficulties. After all, a wedding is a special time in a girl's life & everyone deserved the dress of their dreams.

"Oh dear!" Mei exclaimed in mock horror. "My husband forgot to update the tags. Ignore this price, this dress is on sale for the summer!". Taking a sharpie out her pocket, she crossed out the price & wrote "$539" on there, making the dress a quarter of what the cost want.

Rei nearly fell off the pedistal. "You're kidding! That puts me under budget! I didn't think it would be that much cheaper".

"Oh yes, this dress has been here for a while waiting for a special owner, so it has a special price. If you'll change your clothes, I'll have the dress wrapped by the time you're ready to leave." Mei said with a smile.

Sensing what was done here, Rei gave the woman a long hug & kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much!"

The shop owner smiled again & watched Rei go into the fitting room to change. "Ah…I love the wedding business…."

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**I've been watching a lot of wedding stuff lately, so that may be why I went all sentimental here. Time for a vow renewal. You can do that as a newlywed, right? LOL**

**I think personally out of all the scouts, Makoto & Rei are (or should be) the closest because they have a similar history of personal tragedies & having to grow up faster than their peers, which is why I had them pair up to go shopping. Like a sister bond kind of thing. How do you think it worked out? Let me know! :)**


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